At least half of Canadians do not treat stroke as a medical emergency

Hi Everyone

ONLY... 24 out of every 100 people in some provinces in Canada would call 9-1-1 if they or someone that they knew was experiencing the warning signs of stroke.

A new report reveals:

At least half of Canadians do not treat stroke as a medical emergency, warns the Heart and Stroke Foundation Report on Stroke. In a national poll of adults, the Heart and Stroke Foundation found that less than half would call 9-1-1 if they or someone they know experienced warning signs of stroke.

When we realize that some 50,000 Canadians suffer stroke every year of which the majority either die or are permanently disabled is it any wonder that we need to promote Stroke Awareness in Canada.

Click here to read the entire report.

Smiles :o)

Gary

My three video clips on High Blood Pressure and Stroke

Hi Everyone

In February 2008 I was asked by our local hospital foundation if I would participate in a televised interview on the subject of High Blood Pressure and Stroke.

It was recorded at the local Community Cable Chanel Studio along with Karen Brown a health nurse with the hospital.

The actual full interview lasted about an hour but I have posted (on You Tube) three clips of seven minutes each just to give you an idea of how the interview went.

So click here to go and view the clips.

If you like them please feel free to rate them or digg them etc. That way they can be shared with more people and that increases awareness of stroke and stroke recovery issues as well.

The more we care means the more we share....

Smiles :o)

Gary

Learn/Leisure Therapy... Dr. Nancy Mayo

Hi Everyone

Here is a unique opportunity to hear the voices of stroke

BUT!...Before you listen. Check out Dr. Nancy Mayo's presentation "Getting on with the rest of Your Life after stroke: Mission Possible...

I have just uploaded an audio (WAV) file of the recording that I did at the "Strategies for Stroke Recovery" Conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Canada. (Nov 07)

It is a recording of Dr. Nancy Mayo's presentation "Getting on with the rest of Your Life after stroke: Mission Possible" (about an hour in length)

http://www.blackberrykewl.com/files/drnancymayo.wav

Just click on the link to listen to the presentation (the entire presentation is interesting but the last half really talks about us as stroke survivors fitting back into our communities and getting on with the rest of our lives.... post stroke)

I would really appreciate having your comments on this idea of "Learn/leisure therapy" does it sound like something that could work for you?

Now click on the link above to listen to the "Voices of Stroke"...Thanks.

Smiles :o)

Gary

This is a One Time Special Post!

Hello to my Social Networking friends. If you think that Barack Obama (see video “Yes We Can!”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY can change the real lives of millions of American people. Then Ed Dale, Dan Rain and the Thirty Day Challenge (see video " The Thirty Day Challenge Music Video") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eX0_EEvUWE can change the real lives of billions of people around the globe in ways they could never imagine in their wildest dreams. I just wanted to share this little known but empowering information with friends within my own social network. Shhh don’t let the cat out of the bag so to speak. You can check it out if you wish at. http://www.ThirtyDayChallenge.com/challenge/336

Getting on with the rest of your life, Post Stroke...

Hi again everyone.

I just wanted to let you know that a great couple who have survived and thrived through the stroke experience will be reaching their 8th stroke anniversary this month. They will truly inspire you in a way that you may never have thought possible.

Congratulations Don and Jean!

To introduce you, please read Jean's comments below and then click through to her blog.

Stroke Anniversary Number Eight

May 21st, 2008 will be the eighth anniversary since Don's massive stroke, a stroke that changed the direction of our lives as strokes do for most people. This year, to celebration the fact that my husband beat the prognosis of two neurologists and is far from being “a vegetable for the rest of his life,” as they predicted, I'm planning a day trip to Lake Michigan.

Click Here to read Jean's blog... "From the Planet Aphasia"

Smiles :o)

Gary

the Aphasia and Stroke Caregivers Guide...

If you are a new caregiver or Stroke survivor please check out the abundance of personal experience that is available on Jean Riva's Squidoo site. Jean has been a Stroke Buddy for a number of years now as her husband Don had his stroke back in 2000.

I am sure that you will find her information very helpful whether you are a caregiver or a survivor.

Read her intro below and then click the link to go to her page.

"Caregiving is not for sissies! This has been my personal mantra since May of 2000 when my husband had a massive stroke that left him right side paralyzed and with no verbal or written means of communication. Becoming an aphasia and stroke caregiver quickly took me outside of my comfort zone and I repeated that mantra to myself many times in the early months. It helped me to be brave and bold and grow into the job one day at a time. I've learned many things along the way to becoming a seasoned stroke caregiver and eventually a peer mentor.

My purpose in creating this 'Aphasia and Stroke Caregivers Guide' is to share what I've learned and the resources I've found over the years, and will continue to find in the future"...Jean Riva

Click here to enter Jean's site.

Acute Stroke Unit Needed for PEI

Islanders from all walks of life have added their voices to the call for an acute stroke unit. To read the letters they wrote to Island editors, click here.

Introducing Gary Gray Stroke Survivor

photo credit: Joan Sinclair Prince Edward Island Heart & Stroke Foundation


Hello Everyone

Let me introduce myself to you.

My name is Gary Gray and I live in Montague, Prince Edward Island Canada. I have recently been given the opportunity to share my incredible story of recovery from a hemorrhagic stroke in August 2002. My family was given little hope, my car was sold and my house closed up, but today I live independently, work part time consulting and drive a vehicle again. My remarkable story has brought important lessons about finding "a New Normal"

The hour long presentation is being produced on video and should be available soon.

In the meantime please enjoy my NEW "Signs of a Stroke" blog. We all need to be aware of the terrible cost stroke can inflict on our lives and our communities. We need to learn how to recognize the signs of stroke in order to get help quickly and reduce both the cost and effects of stroke!

Smiles :o)

Gary

Stroke Awareness hits the Big Screen

Hi Everyone

Stroke Awareness hits the Big Screen
The Calgary Stroke Program is bringing a fresh approach to stroke education in the Calgary Health Region with a new independent short film titled “Inside Out.”
The first of its kind developed by a health region in Canada, the film is a fictional story that focuses on the health, wellness, and lifestyle choices of a young professional woman trying to balance work and family life. Now available on the Region’s website, the film trailer for Inside Out is also set to air at the Calgary International Film Festival from September 21 to 30, and will be available on YouTube later this month.
Thelma Inkson, Vice-President, Northwest Community Portfolio and Foothills Medical Centre, says the Region needs to step outside the box to find ways to reach out to the community. “Hopefully by bringing our messages to the big screen, the film will capture the interest of people and will allow us to tell a story that will resonate in the Calgary community,” she says.
“A stroke is not just a disease of the elderly – it can happen to anyone at anytime,” says Dr. Michael Hill Director of the Calgary Health Region’s Stroke Unit. “That’s why it’s so important for all of us to know the warning signs of stroke and to act immediately when they occur. This type of film is a perfect vehicle to get that message out to our community in a new and exciting way.”
The Calgary Stroke Program, a partnership between the Region and the University of Calgary’s Department of Clinical Neurosciences, is one of the top programs in North America for stroke research and treatment. Now, through its involvement with the Alberta Provincial Stroke Strategy (APSS), the Stroke Program is collaborating with the other eight health regions, Alberta Health Wellness and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT, and Nunavut to standardize stroke care and awareness throughout the province.
“Funding for this project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the APSS,” says Dr. Hill. “In addition to working to standardize the continuum of stroke care throughout Alberta, the APSS mandate also focuses on supporting the development of programs and tools to educate the public on the signs and symptoms of stroke.”
“We can’t control our family history, age, gender, or ethnicity,” says Dr. Hill. “But we can try to change the way we live – we can eat healthier, exercise, quit smoking. Some strokes can be prevented. Hopefully, the more we send this message out there, the less often we’ll have to treat strokes in the future.”
For more information:
To arrange interviews with members of Calgary Stroke Program, contact Léora Rabatach,
Communications, Calgary Stroke Program at (403) 944-8637 or (403) 875-8716.
To view click the link below.

Inside Out

Thank you for taking this valuable time from your busy day to view this life saving information. Please tell others!

Smiles :o)

Gary

Stroke Network Stroke Awareness

Hi and welcome back

I want to give you a link to a review that is found in the October issue of The StrokeNet Newsletter an online newsletter that can be very helpful to stroke survivors and their families as well as anyone wanting to know more about stroke.

Click here to read the review.

Once you have read the review, be sure to follow the links that will take you through this very valuable stroke awareness information.

I hope that you find the information helpful in your search for stroke related information on the internet.

Smiles :o)

Gary